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High School  | General  | 2/14/2018

Regional HS Preview: Southeast

David Rawnsley     
Photo: Perfect Game



For all of Perfect Game's regional previews as part of the 2018 high school baseball preview content, the Dream Team is available for free. The region top tools can be viewed with an Insider subscription. To learn more about Perfect Game's subscription packages and to sign up today please visit this link.


2018 Perfect Game High School Preview Index

Top 15 Southeast Region High Schools
Rk. Nat'l School '17 Rec. '17 Finish
1 2 Parkview (Ga.) 31-6 GHSA 7A Quarterfinals
2 8 Hattiesburg (Miss.) 26-11 MHSAA 5A Semifinals
3 9 Barbe (La.) 29-6 LHSAA 5A Bi-District
4 11 North Gwinnett (Ga.) 35-4 GHSAA 7A Semifinals
5 15 River Ridge (Ga.) 29-10 GHSAA 6A Semifinals
6 23 Walton (Ga.) 27-8 GHSAA 7A 2nd Round
7 24 Oxford (Miss.) 32-7 MHSAA 5A State Finals
8 28 Loganville (Ga.) 30-13 GHSAA 5A State Champs
9 33 Cartersville (Ga.) 22-10 GHSAA 4A 1st Round
10 34 Farragut (Tenn.) 33-10 TSSAA 3A Region Champs
11 38 Florence (Ala.) 16-10 No Playoffs
12 49 Hoover (Ala.) 41-11 AHSAA 7A State Champs
13 NR John Curtis Christian (La.) 31-6 LHSAA Division I State Champs
14 NR Blessed Trinity (Ga.) 36-6 GHSAA 4A State Finals
15 NR Pope (Ga.) 35-6 GHSAA 6A State Champs

Nat'l denotes rank on the Preseason National High School Top 50

Southeast Region: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee

These are historical times for the Southeast Region in terms of baseball talent. Georgia has surpassed Texas in most people's minds as the new member of the ‘Big Three’ of talent producing states along with California and Florida. Eleven of the 14 All-Region positions are held by Perfect Game All-Americans, with two of the other slots manned by underclassmen. And three PG All-Americans – lefthanded pitcher Luke Bartnicki (Georgia), outfielder Cabrera Weaver (Georgia) and catcher Chris Willis (Louisiana), didn't even make the cut on the Dream Team.

In all, 11 of the top 25 high school prospects in the country come from the Southeast Region, including No. 1 overall prospect right hander Ethan Hankins, and 26 of the top 100. While Georgia, helped by the exploding baseball scene in Atlanta and by Perfect Game's LakePoint complex, is obviously the driver in the baseball surge, the rest of the region is following closely behind. Mississippi has an especially strong 2019 class, for instance, and Alabama and Tennessee are getting stronger and stronger every year.




Southeast Region High School Dream Team

C – Will Banfield, Sr., Brookwood HS, Lawrenceville (Ga.)
Banfield especially stands out on defense, where he was the recipient of the 2017 Rawlings Defensive Player of the Year presented by Perfect Game at the All-American Classic. But Banfield is no slouch with the bat, either. He has a gap-to-gap approach from the right side and can turn on balls with authority at times and hit .409-7-33 with 22 walks in 37 games at Brookwood High School as a junior. The region is full of talented catchers, with Top 100 ranked 2018 receivers Christopher Willis, fellow PG All-American Anthony Seigler and strong-armed Georgian Connor Pavolony`, along with highly ranked 2019 catcher Hayden Dunhurst.

1B – Blaze Jordan, Fr., DeSoto Central HS, Southaven (Miss.)
Jordan is already a precocious power hitting legend with a national reputation before he plays his first high school game. He played for the Dulins Dodgers at the 2016 WWBA World Championship and hit in the middle of the team's order early in his eighth grade year, as scouts were wondering what a 13-year old was doing at the event. Maybe his most impressive achievement to date is hitting a home run at the 14u, 15u, 16u and 17u WWBA National Championships, the 14u PG World Series and the WWBA World Championship during the 2017 summer and fall tournament circuit. Lest one think Jordan is a one-tool player he also has been up to 92 mph on the mound.

MIF – C.J. Abrams, Jr., Blessed Trinity HS, Alpharetta (Ga.)
Abrams is one of the most athletic players in the 2019 class and was named an All-Region basketball player as a sophomore in addition to his excellence on the baseball diamond. In addition to his elite level athleticism, Abrams is a performer, especially with the bat. He's a .430-2 51 hitter with 30 stolen bases, 76 runs and a 25-to-7 walk-to-strikeout ratio in two seasons at Blessed Trinity High School. In WWBA tournaments last summer, Abrams, a lefthanded hitter, went 34-for-72 (.472) with 12 extra-base hits and an eye opening 28 steals in 26 games. He's currently the 14th ranked player nationally in the 2019 PG class rankings.

MIF – Jeremiah Jackson, Sr. St. Lukes HS, Mobile (Ala.)
Jackson has all the tools to be a long-time big league shortstop if he continues to develop his skills. He has a strong righthanded bat and has the potential to grow into a middle-of-the-lineup run producer with time. His 6.8 speed plays up in games, especially on defense where he is athletic and graceful and he's thrown up to 92 mph from the mound to showcase his raw arm strength. Jackson has also proven to be a high-level performer, both on the summer circuit and during the spring, where he hit .485-12-37 with 24 walks and 25 stolen bases as a junior. A Perfect Game All-American, Jackson is the 23rd-ranked player in the 2018 class and has signed with Mississippi State.

3B – Kendall Logan Simmons, Sr., Tatnall Square Academy, Macon (Ga.)
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Simmons is very capable of playing shortstop at the next level but will likely grow enough through his twenties to outgrow the middle of the field. His athletic tools, and especially his extremely strong throwing arm, shine brightest, however, when he's playing third base. Offensively, Simmons has a high contact righthanded swing with lots of bat speed and very projectable power. He hit .417-5-29 as a junior at Tatnall Square Academy with 15 walks and only six strikeouts. Simmons is the 14th-ranked player in the PG national class rankings and is signed with Georgia Tech.

OF – Ryder Green, Sr., Karns HS, Knoxville (Tenn.)
Green was maybe the most active high school player in the country on the 2017 summer circuit, performing at virtually every major event, helped by his ability to play in 16U events because of his relatively young age. During that time, the extremely strong 6-foot-2, 195-pound right handed hitter established himself as one of the top power hitters in the entire class and blasted some of the most memorable home runs of the summer. Green is not just a one-tool player, though, as he's a 6.7 runner who consistently turns in plus running times home to first despite a big swing and has been up to 92 mph off the mound. Green hit .458-7-28 last spring and has signed with Vanderbilt.

OF – Parker Meadows, Sr., Grayson HS, Grayson (Ga.)
Meadows is one of the most projectable athletes in the 2018 class nationally, with a long and slender 6-foot-4, 195-pound build and tons of athleticism in all areas of the game. His best present tool is his speed, as he's a 6.5 runner in the 60-yard dash who has plus range in center field and consistently posts 4.1 running times from home to first base, but Meadows also has raw bat speed and is a 90 mph arm from the mound. He hit .410-4-19 with 26 walks in 31 games as a junior at Grayson High School along with going 5-2, 1.87 in 30 innings on the mound. Meadows is signed with Clemson.

OF – Joe Gray Jr., Sr., Hattiesburg HS, Hattiesburg (Miss.)
Gray is a highly athletic 6-foot-3, 195-pound righthanded hitter with pure center field tools on defense. He started playing varsity baseball at Hattiesburg High School as an eighth grader and has hit .441 in 98 high school games in his career, including .477-7-34 with 35 walks and 19 stolen bases as a junior. A 2017 Perfect Game All-American, Gray is currently the 10th-ranked player in the PG class rankings and the second ranked outfielder. He is signed with Ole Miss.

UT – Anthony Seigler, Sr., Cartersville HS, Cartersville (Ga.)
Seigler's unique ability to play all over the field, including pitch at a high level both lefthanded and righthanded, has been well and deservedly documented. Part of that uniqueness, of course, is the fact that he plays infield righthanded but throws lefthanded from the outfield. The bottom line, however, is that Seigler is a Perfect Game All-American and the 13th-ranked player in the country due to his talent behind the plate and as a switch-hitter, which could get him drafted in the first two rounds this June. He is signed with Florida.

SP – J.T. Ginn, Sr., Brandon HS, Brandon (Miss.)
Ginn would be on anyone's short list for a player of the year candidate based on his ability on both sides of the ball. Although he's clearly a better pitching prospect for professional scouts, Ginn hit an astounding .483-16-66 in 33 games as a junior while also going 5-1, 1.78 with three saves and striking out 69 hitters in 39 innings on the mound. He has a high effort delivery that he's able to control and repeat due to his athleticism and throws a steady mid-90s fastball to go with a low-80s plus curveball and a surprisingly good changeup. Ginn, who is also a high level student, is signed with Mississippi State and is ranked 22nd in the PG national class rankings.

SP – Ethan Hankins, Sr. Forsyth Central HS, Cumming (Ga.)
Hankins firmly established himself as the top high school pitcher in the very talented 2018 class with dominating performances throughout the summer and fall, culminating in striking out 27 hitters in 12 innings at the 2017 World Junior Championships for the USA 18u National Team. Hankins regularly works in the mid-90s with a lively fastball that regularly tops out at 97-98 mph and significantly improved both his mid- to upper-70s curveball and low- to mid-80s changeup over the summer. With his 6-foot-6, 200-pound build, Hankins isn't physically mature yet, either. He is signed with Vanderbilt but will likely be next in line to be the first ever high school righthander picked first overall in the draft.

SP – Kumar Rocker, Sr., North Oconee HS, Watkinsville (Ga.)
Rocker's raw stuff, including a fastball that frequently touches 97-98 mph to go with a mid-80s slider and promising changeup, stands out every bit as much as his oversized 6-foot-5, 250-pound build. The Vanderbilt signee has been a consistent presence at the top of the PG national class rankings ever since he started working in the 90s from a low effort delivery coming out of his freshman year in high school. With his size and family background in football (his father Tracy is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame) one would expect Rocker to play football but he gave up that sport after his sophomore year to concentrate on baseball. He went 5-0, 1.36 with 59 strikeouts and only seven walks in 36 innings as a junior.

SP – Ryan Weathers, Sr., Loretto HS, Loretto (Tenn.)
Weathers, the son of 18-year Major League veteran reliever David Weathers, is one of the most dominant high school baseball players in the country along with being the ninth-best prospect in the PG national class rankings. He was named Mr. Baseball for the state of Tennessee after going 9-0, 0.11, allowing only one earned run in 63 innings all season while striking out 139 hitters. Weathers also hit over .500 for the second straight year while hitting seven home runs, 18 doubles and driving in 34 runs for state champion Loretto High School. A Vanderbilt signee, Weathers has outstanding command and feel for a three-pitch mix that includes a 90-93 mph fastball, a mid-70s curveball and an advanced low-80s changeup.

SP – Cole Wilcox, Sr., Heritage HS, Chickamauga (Ga.)
Wilcox is the third and sometimes overlooked member of the trio of Georgia high school righthanders who get their fastballs into the upper-90s and throw strikes with the pitch. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Georgia signee doesn't have quite the consistency with his off-speed pitches that fellow Georgians Ethan Hankins and Kumar Rocker do, although his mid-80s slider shows significant promise. Wilcox went 9-3, 2.40 with 70 strikeouts in 64 innings as a junior and is ranked 20th in the Perfect Game national class rankings.


Southeast Region Top Tools


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